Summary

Small silver coin; Denomination: 1/4 Stater, issued by the Durotriges Tribe, Ancient Britain, circa 10 BC.
Dorchester Mint.

The Durotriges were a British tribe who inhabited much of the South West of modern England (areas that are now known as Dorset and Devon) before the Roman conquest. They seem to be among the first British tribes to copy coinage from Gallo-Belgic invaders in South East England. They were also the first to debase their coinage so that what elsewhere was being produced in gold was there struck in silver. This is a silver 1/4 stater. The debasement is clearer on the full stater where the British C, Chute type in gold (see Spink, Coins of England etc. 22) is identical except for metal to the "Silver stater, White Gold type" of the Durotriges (Spink 365). The reason for this debasement is believed to be a fall off in trade after the Roman conquests of Gaul and later Britain.

Physical Description

Large starfish with 5 curved rays, field decorated with pellets & rings (obverse) Crooked line with ornaments on either side but struck off centre so that one ornament is at centre (reverse) Wear on high relief. Edge is plain.

Obverse Description

A starfish with five curved solid line rays and five rays formed by beads; around, ring ornaments.

Reverse Description

Near the bottom of the flan a horizontal line bent by two right angles; above (and probably below but much of that off the flan) a thick vertical line with two right angles with four narrow lines each ending in a bead running horizontally from each side; above this a series of line perhaps meant to indicate lettering; a zig-zag pattern

Edge Description

Plain

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